Apparatus for and method of winding strip products

ABSTRACT

Strip products such as mineral wool blankets are wound on a mandrel having two elongate elements extending generally across the width of the strip and generally paralleling the winding axis of the strip. The strip is inserted between the elongate elements to develop an initial securing tuck of material when they are rotated around the winding axis and the projecting free end of the strip is carried and secured against one of the elements by the succeeding wrap of the strip. Wheels positioned normal to the winding axis support the elongate elements of the mandrel. Peripheral drive for winding is provided by a drive cradle which engages the wheels as the coil of strip is started and engages the outer periphery of the coil when its diameter exceeds that of the wheels. Mandrel indexing means position the elongate elements to receive the leading edge of strip to start the wind. The method and apparatus are of particular value in winding operations requiring an end tuck to be carried upward and against gravitational forces as where an upper surface of a horizontally fed strip is to be wound outermost although the positive control of the end tuck is advantageous in many winding orientations.

llnited States Patent [191 Troyer et al.

m 3,822,836 [451 July 9, 1974 I APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF WINDING STRIP PRODUCTS Inventors: Richard Lloyd Troyer, Toledo;

Theodore Richard Rohweder; Ronald Buxton Raab, both of Perrysburg, all of Ohio Assignee: Johns-Manville Corporation, New

York, NY.

Filed: June 27, 1972 Appl/No: 266,623

us. cl. 242/66, 242/67.1 R Int. Cl B65h 17/08 References Cited 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 85,289 3/1958 Denmark 242 55 Primary Examiner-John W, l-luckert Assistant Examiner-Edward J McCarthy Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert NIL Krone; John Lister Field of Search 242/66, 68, 67.1 R, 67.2,,

[57] ABSTRACT 7 Strip products such as mineral wool blankets are wound on a mandrel having two elongate elements extending generally across the width of the strip and generally paralleling the winding axis of thestrip. The strip is inserted between the elongate elements to develop-an initial securing tuck of material when they are rotated around the winding axis and the projecting free end of the strip is carried and secured against one of the elements by the succeeding wrap of the strip. Wheels positioned normal to the winding axis support the elongate elements of the mandrel. Peripheral drive for winding is provided by a drive cradle which engages the wheels as the coil of strip is started and engages the outer periphery of the coil when its diameter exceeds that of the wheels. Mandrel indexing means position the elongate elements to receive the leading edge of strip to start the wind. The method and apparatus are of particular value in Winding operations requiring an end tuck to be carried upward and against gravitational forces as where an upper surface of a horizontally fed strip is to be wound outermost although the positive control of the end tuck is advantageous in many winding orientations.

I gt, saunas 43m- PATENTEDJUL 9:974

SHEET 1 0F 2 PATENIEDJUL l v mamas APPARATUS ,FORAND METHOD or WINDING STRIP PRODUCTS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION of the blanket and, if desired, initially drives the blanket securing mandrel. The mandrel assembly comprises a pair of elongate members extending" generally across the width of the strip to be wound and generally parallel to the winding axis of that strip spaced to receive the leading end of the strip between the members. A preferred mandrelstructure includes a-primary mandrel invention relates to wind-ups and to methods of winding particularly as applied to materials of thetype which are of low density blanket form havingsubstantial thickness such as mineral fiber tionl; r d

' DESCRIPTION-OFTHE PRIOR ART I-Ieretofore it has been known to wind mineral fiber wool blankets into rolls for convenient packaging and handling. Such blankets have been wound with and without a core or mandrel at their center as'by securing wool thermal insulacore tube concentrically supported-on circular ends and a secondary," blanket s'ecuring rod also supported on the ends. and spaced from the primary mandrel across those ends a distance greater than the thickness of the blanket to be wound. Indexing means orient the mandrel assembly so that blanket is advanced normal to, the mandrel assembly axis and between the primary core and secondary securing rod. The mandrel assembly is then rotatedja's by a frictional engagement of its circular ends upon a pair of driven cradle rolls which are rotated in the direction it is desired to rotate the mandrel assembly- A third hold down roller is driven with the cradle rollers and is-shiftablein position rela-v tive to the cradle rollers normal to their axes of rotation introduction of the blanket to the wind-up and can be theleading edge of the blanket around the core or man'- drel and rotating the mandrel. Alternatively, rolls have been wound by driving the exterior surface in a curved path closing upon itself to form a core around which the remaining length of blanket is driven and wound- Blanket presented to wind-ups with its major face generally horizontal, as, for example, when it is issued from a forming or processing apparatus .is usually wound with its lower face outermost in the coil.- In starting such a coil the initial tuck of the end of the strip to be wound is carried upward, turned back toward the standing, part of the strip and led downward into the Strip to either form the core of the coil or fit between a mandrel and the following turn of the coil. Many strip product winding operations require orientations in which gravity cannot be employed to achieve the initial tuck of the leadingend into the coil. For example, in

some instancesit is desirable to wind a generally horizontal blanket with its upper face outermost. While such coils have been formed by turning the blanket back on itself to invert it and. winding it from its inverted position so that the lower face of the inverted blanket is outermost. This permits conventional winding techniques and equipment to be employed where the initial tuck is made by passing the end downward although the equipment to'i'nvert the blanket may be quite cumbersome and complex.

SUMMARY THE INVENTION 7 The presentinvention is for a wind-up and method of winding which facilitates the mechanical control of the initial tuck of the strip being coiled and pennits either major surface of a blanket to be wound outermost in a coil as desired without complicated manipulation of the blanket prior to' itspresentationto the wind-up. It involves afloating mandrel which automatically secures the leading end of the blanket and turns it into the following turn as a tuck secured between that turn and a core member. A drive'means drives the outer surface BRIEF DESCRIPTION 0P1 THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is'a somewhat diagrammatic perspective of a wind-up according to this invention showing a fragment of a blanket delivery conveyor typical of the type with which it is associated;

FIG. 2 is a left'hand end view diagrammatically illustrating the wind-up and showing the roller drives. and

positioningmeans with the :blanket approaching the mandrel, parts being broken'away and" safety shields being removed to show the drives;

- FIGS. 3 through6 are diagrammatic right hand end view of the rollers-and mandrel assembly with other details eliminated taken normal to the winding axis of the wind-up of FIG. 1 to show the progressive steps of engaging the blanket end and mandrel assembly, securing the blanket end to the mandrel assembly, and building the blanket roll, all for a blanket having its upper surface wound outermost;

FIGS. 7a through 7h are diagrammatic end views of the wind of strip product to illustrate the method of achieving the initial tuck of the leading end of the prod DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The winding method of the present invention involves thedevel'opment of an initial tuck 0f the end 0f -a strip such that the end is positively secured to enable significant winding tension to be developed without ref lease of the end from the mandrel. Manipulation of the end is illustrated in FIGS. 7a through 7b to be discussed below. Generally strip material 11 such as a glass fiber, air felted, blanket which has a cured therrnosetting binder and a finished upper face 12 is wound into a coil 13 with its finished face outward by advancing the strip, which can be a plurality of strips slit as at 14 from a blanket, to the wind-up 15 as cut off lengths having a leading end 16. The end 16 is advanced as by a conveyor 17 along a path extending between a pair of generally parallel elongated members, a core tube 18 and a clamping or tuck rod 19, which are mounted so that they define a window normal to the path.

Rotation of the elongate members around a winding axis, which can be coincident with the axis of the core tube 18, picks up a bight 21 of the strip with one of the members, the tuck rod 19, from its standing part as received from conveyor 17 and carries that bight around the other elongate member, the core tube 18, so that the standing part is drawn against the leading end 16 to press it against the core tube 18 as a tuck initiating the coil build. This tuck of the end is secured without manual manipulation or reliance upon gravitational forces. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the double element mandrel can be employed in many winding applications and orientations to start a coil and secure its leading end.

A wind-up 15 according to this invention is shown in FIG. 1 as comprising a stand or base including end frames 22 including cross beams 23 which journal axles 24 and 25 of the rollers 26 and 27. Arms 28 pivoted at 29 on cantilevers 30 from stanchions 31 of the frame 22 support a hold down roller 32 for rotation about axle 33. The axle 33 is movable through an arc around pivot 29, a projection of which extends from a location between rollers 26 and 27 to a region spacing the periphery of roller 32 from the peripheries of rollers 26 and 27 sufficiently to accommodate the maximum diameter of the coil 13 of rolled product 11 to be wound.

Rollers 26, 27 and 32 are driven in synchronism around their respective axles so their peripheral speeds match and when engaged with the product to be wound drive it at a matching peripheral speed. The drive shown includes a drive sprocket 34 driven by a motor 35 through a variable speed drive 36 and engaged with a drive chain 37 to driven sprocket 38 keyed on shaft 39. Sprockets 41 and 42 (hidden behind sprocket 38) keyed or otherwise secured on the shaft 39 each engage and drive chains 43 and 44 to sprockets 45 and 46 on the axle 24 of roller 26 and the shaft 47 respectively. A second sprocket 48 (hidden behind sprocket 45) keyed to the axle 24 of roller 26 drives chain 49 to sprocket 51 keyed to the axle 25 of roller 27.

Movable hold down roller 32 is driven in all arcuate positions defined by arm 28 by a chain 52 engaging a sprocket 53 keyed to axle 33. Chain 52 is driven from sprocket 54 keyed to shaft 47 which is joumaled for rotation concentric with the pivot 29 on which arm 28 is mounted. Shaft 47 extends across the width of the wind-up. The sprocket 46 is located on the right side of the machine to be driven from chain 44 while sprocket 54 drives chain 52 at the left side of the machine. Arcuate motion of arm 28 to shift the position of roller 32 occurs without changing the length of chains 44 or 52 and thus the drive for roller 32 is engaged for all roller positions.

Mandrel assembly 55 includes a pair of spaced end discs 56 and 57, core tube 18 extending between the discs, and tuck or clamp rod 19 to secure the blanket 11 on the tube 19 as the mandrel is started in rotation. Discs 56 and 57 or other elements having a circular periphery in the plane normal to the winding axis for strip 11 enable the core tube 18 and rod 19 to be rotated around the winding axis by their engagement with rotating cradle rollers 26 and 27. During the introduction of the strip 11 to the mandrel 55 the discs 56 and 57 are freed of the drive rollers and are indexed with the strip end 16. Once end 16 is passed between tube 18 and rod 19 sufficiently, the driving engagement of the discs with the rollers is established and the hold down or pressure roller 32 is lowered to engage the upper periphery of discs 56 and 57 and apply traction pressure as well as driving impetus.

An elevating means is provided for mandrel 55 as pneumatic cylinders 58 engaging stub shafts 59 extending outwardly from discs 56 and 57. Advantageously shafts 59 can be extensions of core tube 18 which pass through suitable apertures in the discs. Disc 56 at the right side of FIG. 1 can be coupled to the tube 18 and rod 19 as by flanged collars (not shown) secured on each side of the disc. Disc 57 is arranged for removal from the tube 18 and rod 19 by axial displacement from their left ends as seen in FIG. 1 in order to enable coils 13 to be removed from the mandrel. The aperture in disc 57 for tube 18 has a flat which matches a flat 61 on tube 18 so that the shoulder at the end of that flat establishes the inner limit of travel of disc 57 along tube 18. When it is desired to maintain mandrel 55 for reception of the end 16 of strip 11 between tube 18 and rod 19 the elevator cylinders 58 are caused to extend their piston rods 63 and raise the bearing or support blocks 64 upon which shafts 59 are carried.

A second pair of elevating cylinders 65 are operated in conjunction with the mandrel elevator to raise the pressure or hold down roller 32 and its supporting arms 28. and free the mandrel for introduction of the strip. Cylinders 65 are pivotally coupled to cross beams 23 and their piston rods 66 are pivotally connected to arms 28 so that the arms and roller 32 are raised upon completion of the winding of a roll of strip, for dis mounting or mounting a mandrel, and for indexing a mandrel to start a winding cycle. Suitable controls (not shown) can actuate and release the elevating air pressure to cylinder 65 either as individual controls or as a common control for cylinders 58 and 65.

Roller 32 imposes a traction and strip material compaction force. The degree of force is adjustable by means of counter weights 87 carried on a tray 67 pivoted as at 68 to the bottom of the frame 22 at one end and supported by chain 69 at the opposite end. Chains 69 extend to lever arms 71 which are a continuation of arms 28 on the opposite side of pivots 29 from the roller 32. The amount of counterweighting force is adjusted by shifting the weights 87 away from tray pivot 68 to increase the force and toward the pivot to reduce the force as by means of a lead screw 72.

Where the blanket to be wound is advanced horizontally, the wind-up rollers 26, 27 and 32 have their axes parallel and horizontal and the upper peripheries of the cradle rollers 26 and 27 are located somewhat below the lower surface of the blanket as it is fed from conveyor 17 to the wind-up l5. Mandrel assembly 55 is positioned with its tube 18 and rod 19 normal to and in registry with the path of advance of the end 16 of blanket l1 and their adjacent peripheries are spaced greater than the blanket thickness. The advancing blanket enters the space between the tube and rod as shown in FIG. 3 by virtue of the indexing of the window between the tube and rod. Y

In order to indexthe mandrel assembly it is mounted with stub shafts 59 extending from the outer faces of end discs 56 and 57 and into channel guides 73 and 74 which are vertically oriented on the centerline between rollers 26 and 27. The channel guides 73'and 74 are spaced so that the shafts 59 are contained and guided vertically when the mandrel assembly 55 is maintained horizontal as during the build of a blanket roll. In order to release the mandrel a gate 75 is provided at one side of channel 73. The gate is formed as a hinged side of the channel to permit that channel to open to the front of the machine whereby the stub shaft 59 can be moved out of the guides to the front. A suitable clamp or latch (not shown) maintains the channel gate 75 in its guiding position, and where automated loading and unloading of the mandrel assembly is provided the gate 75 can be operated automatically with power opening and closing means and programmed controls (none of which are shown).

Lift cylinders 58 have their bearing or support blocks 64 fitted into channels 73 and 74 to mount the stub shafts 59 and establish theirinitial elevation. In practice the rods 63 are extended from cylinders 58 to an extent to raise the window between mandrel tube 18 and clamp rod 19 into alignment with the advancing blanket 11. In this position the periphery of discs 56 and 57 are free of the driven rollers 26 and 27 and the off-center weight of rod 19 causes the rod to be located below the primary tube 18 and stub shafts 59 so that the window is in a vertical plane and normal to the advance of the blanket. The advancing blanket enters the window as shown in FIG. 3.

After the end 16 of the blanket 11 has passed beyond the tube 18 and rod 19, the mandrel assembly 55 is lowered and the support blocks 64 are released from the stub shafts 59. This engages discs 56 and 57 with the rotating rollers 26 and 27 as shown in FIG. 4. Rotation of rollers 26 and 27 in the same direction cause the mandrel assembly to'rotate in-the opposite-direction and begin to wind the advancing blanket into a roll as shown in FIG. 5. Hold down roller 32 can be brought into engagement with the periphery of discs 56 and 57 to enhance the driving traction on the discs as winding is initiated and to impose sufficient tension on the blanket to secure its overlapped end against the core mandrel l8.

Rollers are driven at a greater peripheral speed than the lineal speed of the conveyor 17 advancing the blanket to the wind-up machine so that the product is wound under some tension. Where the wind-up machine and the conveyor operate at constant speeds, this tension is developed uniformly throughout the major portion of the roll since peripheral speed of the roll is constant afterit attains-the diameter of the disc 56 and 57. In s'omeinstances speed can be varied during winding. For example, where the blanket is issued from a machine which cuts it to length, the winding speed can beincreased following the operation of the cutoff (not shown) to accelerate the trailing end of the wound length of the blanket from the leading end of the next length to be wound. This provides a time interval be tween the completion of the wrap of the-roll and. the arrival at the wind-up of the'leading edge 16 of the next length of blanket to be wound. In suchv instances the relative speed of the conveyor and the wind-up rollers can be maintained to maintain the desired tension.

The initial tension of the strip 11 in the coil is less than that achieved after the coil diameter builds to that of discs 56 and 57. This is due to the relatively lower peripheral speed of the wound strip while it is wound on a form having a perimeter shorter than the perimeter of discs 56 and 57 as where a generally oblong ini tial wind develops around tube 18 and rod 19 and the relative peripheral speed of rollers 26 and 27 and lineal speed of conveyor 17 are maintained. Thus the initial wind is subjected to less tension and is less likely to be pulled free of the mandrel before it is adequately secured thanwhere the winding is initially undertaken with-the ultimate higher speed relation to the conveyor speed. 7

While the present wind-up can be employed for .either direction of winding, it offers particular advantage in winding operations in which the upper surface of the product is wound outermost. It is desirable that' the upper surface be wound outermost, for example, where the higher density of binder at the upper surface of an air felted glass fiber is to have a finish andthe winding of that finished surface is to be under tension to maintain its smoothness. When conventionally wound, such product is carried through a reverse curvewhereby its issuing upper surfaces is turned under to become the lower surface and is then wound by carrying its free end upward and tucking it back upon itself either with or without an internal mandrel. Plant floor space and equipment costs dictate against such manipulations and the present wind-up enables the winding of rolled product to be accomplished in either direction since gravity need not be relied upon to establish the initial tuck of the leading end of the blanket in the roll formation.

Self tucking of the leadingend of the blanket is afforded by the mandrel assembly as best seen in FIGS. 7a through 7h illustrating the progressive development of the initial turns of a roll. Consider, for example, the

- winding of a blanket in the rangeof inch to 1 inch thick and several-feet wide. A mandrel assembly 55 having discs 56 and 57 of seven inches diameter and about two inches thick centrally supports a 2 inch di ameter core tube 18 and a I inch diameter holding rod 19 having its surface spaced from the core tube to provide a window about one and A inch wide for the reception of the blanket. A 2 inch blanket would require a window about 2% inches wide and, therefore, would be arranged on a 9 inch diameter disc. The leading edge 16 of the blanket is advanced through the window a sufficient distance to provide an end tuck around a substantial portion of the core tube 18 when the mandrel assembly is rotated. This required a length of about a half of the circumference of the rod 19, the spacing of the core and the rod, and at least about a half a circumference of the core tube 18. A length of about 8 inches has been found satisfactory.

When the blanket end 16 has advanced a sufficient distance through the mandrel window, the discs 56 and 57 are lowered to engage the drive rollers 26 and 27. The driving engagement of the rollers 26 and 27 with discs 56 and 57 can be enhanced by lowering the hold down roller 32 into engagement with the discs to impose pressure and driving force. Further frictional force can be achieved by providing a traction surface on the wheel as in the form of a tire 76 of material such as brake lining having a suitable coefficient of friction with the polished metal surface of rollers 26, 27 and 32. The drive initiates mandrel rotation clockwise for counter-clockwise rotation of rollers 26, 27 and 32. As shown in FIG. 7b, the tuck rod 19 picks up a bight 21 of the blanket. That bight 21 is carried around the core tube 18 as shown in FIGS. 70 and 7d so that the free end 16 of the blanket is laid over the core tube 18 and the standing part of the blanket is laid upon it as shown in FIG. 7e. This secures the blanket to the mandrel and enables the mandrel to impose winding tension on the blanket thereby increasing the securing force as shown in FIGS. 7f through 7h. While the blanket roll diameter is less than the discs 56 and 57 the speed of winding is less than the peripheral speed of the rollers 26, 27 and 32 and the tendency of the partially secured blanket to slip on the mandrel assembly is minimized.

The build of the coil of blanket exceedsthe diameter of the discs 56 and 57 as winding proceeds. At that time, the discs are lifted free of the cradle rollers 26 and 27 and the hold down roller 32 is forced away from the discs by the engagement of the blanket with those rollers. Peripheral speed of the coil established at the disc peripheries is maintained thereafter until the roll is completely wound.

Upon completion of the wind of the blanket, the guide channel gate 75 is opened to release the stub shaft 59 at the right end of FIG. 1. Disc 57 at the left end of FIG. 1 is removed by sliding it from the core 18 and rod 19 whereby the core and rod are free to move relative to each other at that end and the blanket roll or rolls are slid off the free end of the core and rod.

In some instances, particularly where winding tension and hold down roller pressure are maintained at high levels to produce a compressed blanket roll, the removal of the roll from the mandrel is difficult due to the frictional forces resisting the sliding of the blanket along the length of the core tube and rod in the region of the disc 56 upon which those elements are fixed. It

has been found that the release of the blanket roll is fa-' cilitated by moving the core tube and rod toward each other whereby the intervening blanket is compresses, and the tension therein released to relieve the inwardly directed radial pressure between the blanket and the core tube and rod.

FIG. 8 illustrates a disc structure which affords this relief of the retaining frictional forces between the blanket, core table, and rod. Tuck rod 19 is modified from an arrangement where it is fixed on disc 56 in its relative position as related to core tube 18 to an arrangement wherein retainer collars 77 are secured to the rod on each side of the disc 56. A slot 78 of generally L shape having the leg 79 of the L conform to the disc periphery and the foot 81 of the L extend radially inward and of a width greater than the diameter of rod 19 and less than the diameters of the collars 77 permits the rod to be movably secured in disc 56. Rod 19 can thus be shifted counter-clockwise from the distal end of slot leg 79 to the end proximate the slot foot 81 and displaced along the foot radially inward toward the core tube 18 to relieve the tension on the inner turns of the blanket coil. The mandrel can easily be unloaded in this condition by sliding the coiled blanket over the free ends of core tube 18 and rod 19.

An unloaded mandrel of the type shown in FIG. 8 is reassembled in the same manner as the mandrels with the core tube and rod fixed in disc 56. The disc 57 is oriented with its flat of the aperture for tube 18 aligned with the core tube flat 61 and is slid over the free ends of core tube 18 and rod 19 to abut the shoulder 62 on the tube 18 short of the location on which the blanket is wound and within the limits of the guide channel 74. When stub shafts 59 are mounted in the guide channels 73 and 74 and lifted by raising support blocks 64, the mandrel assembly 55 indexes itself by locating the rod 19 beneath the core tube 18. This causes the rod to fall to the end of the floot slot 81 portion adjacent the leg slot portion 79 at disc 56. Upon initiation of the rotation of disc 56 counter clockwise as viewed in FIG. 8, the rod is caused to move clockwise relative to the disc 56 to the distal end of a leg slot 79 by the rotation of the mandrel assembly and the drag of the blanket. The rod 19 is retained at this distal end of slot 79 until manually shifted to the opposite end of that slot for release and unloading of a completed coil.

It is to be appreciated that the apparatus for and method of winding set forth above lends itself to many modifications. For example, where the winding axis is other than horizontal, the mandrel can be mechanically indexed for introduction of the leading end of the blanket. Automatic controls can be actuated by mechanical limit switches, photoelectric switches or the like in response to the passage of the leading and trailing ends of the blanket for automatic loading and unloading of coils. The mandrel drive discs can be altered in size to control initial tension variations in the blanket and where essentially constant and uniform tension is desired the core tube 18 and tuck rod 19 can both be eccentrically mounted near the periphery of the discs 56 and 57, as in diametric opposition to wind at essentially the same rate the peripheral speed of the disc drive. In view of these modifications the disclosure is presented as merely illustrative of the invention and is not to be read in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A wind-up for'winding a strip of sheet material comprising a mandrel including a first elongate member maintained transverse of the length of said strip, a second elongate member maintained generally parallel to said first member, said first and second elongate members have their proximate surfaces spaced sufficiently to receive the thickness of the sheet material to be wound, means to mount said first and second members for rotation around a winding axis generally paralleling the length of said members, said means to mount said first and second members being a pair of supports having circular perimeters normal to the winding axis, and means to engage the circular perimeter of at least one of said supports frictionally and to drive said support in rotation about said winding axis.

2. A wind-up according to claim 1 wherein said drive means is a cradle for at least one of said supports.

3. A wind-up according to claim 1 including a constraining means to bias said mandrel toward said support engaging means.

4. A wind-up according to claim 1 wherein said first elongate member is of larger diameter than said second elongate member.

5. A wind-up according to claim 1 including means to displace said supports from engagement with said engaging means whereby said first and second members can be positioned to receive said sheet material and the rotational drive of said mandrel by said engaging means can be through the sheet material being wound during portions of the winding operation.

6. A wind-up for winding a strip of sheet material comprising a mandrel including a first elongate member maintained transverse of the length of said strip, a second elongate member maintained generally parallel to and spaced from said first member, means to mount said first and second members for rotation around a winding axis generally paralleling the length of said members, said means to mount said first and second members being a pair of supports having circular perimeters normal to the winding axis, and first and second right circular cylinder mounted with their longitudinal axes parallel to the winding axis; means to engage the circular perimeters of said pair of supports with said first and second cylinders; and drive means for rotating said cylinders in the same direction about their respective axes to rotate said supports.

7. A wind-up according to claim 6 including shafts extending outward from each of said supports in alignment along said winding axis; and means constraining said shafts to motion normal to the plane of the axes of said first and second cylinders.

8. A wind-up according to claim 7 wherein said constraining means are a pair-of opposed channels each adaptedto receive one of said shafts between its side flanges; and a gate to permit displacement of a portion of a side flange of one channel and release said shaft constrained thereby. A

9. A wind-up according to claim 6 including a third right circular cylinder having its longitudinal axis parallel to the winding axes; means mounting said third cylinder for rotation around its longitudinal axis; and means to move said third cylinder toward and away from said first and second cylinders to bias said mandrel toward said first and second cylinders.

10. A wind-up according to claim 9 including means to advance a strip of sheet material to be wound toward said mandrel along a path; and means to index said first and second elongate members so that the plane defined by their axes and extending between said members embraces the path of advance of said sheet material.

11. A wind-up according to claim 10 wherein said first elongate means is coaxial with the circular perimeters of said pair of supports, said second elongate member is eccentric to the circular perimeters of said pair of supports, and said index means suspends said memmounting means; and including an extension of said first elongate member extending beyond each of said mounting means; means to suspend said mandrel from said extensions out of engagement with said first and second cylinders whereby said second elongate element is pendant below said extensions and said first elongate element; means to advance a strip of sheet material to be wound toward said mandrel along a path passing between said first and second elongate elements; and means to release said suspending means and permit said supports to engage said cylinders.

13. A wind-up according to claim 12 including means to deliver a strip of mineral fiber wool blanket with a surface to be wound outermost in said wind-up facing upward; wherein said first and second cylinders are below said mandrel and the path of advance of said strip, and wherein said upper perimeters of said first and second cylinders are driven in rotation toward the delivery means whereby the upper side of the mandrel rotates away from the delivery means.

14. The method of winding a strip of flexible sheet material having sufficient rigidity to sustain a free end as a cantilever which comprises presenting the strip to be wound to a pair of elongate members with its major surfaces-horizontal and with a first major surface uppermost extending a free end of said strip between said pair of spaced elongate members; and rotating the members around a winding axis generally paralleling the length of the members in a direction so that one of the members and a bight of said strip intermediate the free end and major body portion thereof is carried around the free end with the second of the members tucking thefree end of said strip between the second of the elongate members and a portion of a second major surface of the major body portion of said strip whereby said first major surface is wound outermost.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the free end of the strip extended between said elongate members has a length extending beyond said members a distance generally equal to the sum of one half the periphery of the cross section of the elongate members normal to the winding axis and the spacing of said elongate members.

16. The method according to claim 14 including the steps of feeding the strip toward the winding axis at a first velocity; rotating the strip around its winding axis when the strip is partially coiled at a second velocity greater than said first velocity to impose a first level of tension thereon; and initially rotating the strip at a third velocity less than said second velocity to impose a second level of tension on the leading end of the strip less than said first level of tension.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein said third velocity is at least as great as said first velocity. 

1. A wind-up for winding a strip of sheet material comprising a mandrel including a first elongate member maintained transverse of the length of said strip, a second elongate member maintained generally parallel to said first member, said first and second elongate members have their proximate surfaces spaced sufficiently to receive the thickness of the sheet material to be wound, means to mount said first and second members for rotation around a winding axis generally paralleling the length of said members, said means to mount said first and second members being a pair of supports having circular perimeters normal to the winding axis, and means to engage the circular perimeter of at least one of said supports frictionally and to drive said support in rotation about said winding axis.
 2. A wind-up according to claim 1 wherein said drive means is a cradle for at least one of said supports.
 3. A wind-up according to claim 1 including a constraining means to bias said mandrel toward said support engaging means.
 4. A wind-up according to claim 1 wherein said first elongate member is of larger diameter than said second elongate member.
 5. A wind-up according to claim 1 including means to displace said supports from engagement with said engaging means whereby said first and second members can be positioned to receive said sheet material and the rotational drive of said mandrel by said engaging means can be through the sheet material being wound during portions of the winding operation.
 6. A wind-up for winding a strip of sheet material comprising a mandrel including a first elongate member maintained transverse of the length of said strip, a second elongate member maintained generally parallel to and spaced from said first member, means to mount said first and second members for rotation around a winding axis generally paralleling the length of said members, said means to mount said first and second members being a pair of supports having circular perimeters normal to the winding axis, and first and second right circular cylinder mounted with their longitudinal axes parallel to the winding axis; means to engage the circular perimeters of said pair of supports with said first and second cylinders; and drive means for rotating said cylinders in the same direction about their respective axes to rotate said supports.
 7. A wind-up according to claim 6 including shafts extending outward from each of said supports in alignment along said winding axis; and means constraining said shafts to motion normal to the plane of the axes of said first and second cylinders.
 8. A wind-up according to claim 7 wherein said constraining means are a pair of opposed channels each adapted to receive one of said shafts between its side flanges; and a gate to permit displacement of a portion of a side flange of one channel and release said shaft constrained thereby.
 9. A wind-up according to claim 6 including a third right circular cylinder having its longitudinal axis parallel to the winding axes; means mounting said third cylinder for rotation around its longitudinal axis; and means to move said third cylinder toward and away from said first and second cylinders to bias said mandrel toward said first and second cylinders.
 10. A wind-up according to claim 9 including means to advance a strip of sheet material to be wound toward said mandrel along a path; and means to index said first and second elongate members so that the plane defined by their axes and extending between said members embraces the path of advance of said sheet material.
 11. A wind-up according to claim 10 wherein said first elongate means is coaxial with the circular perimeters of said pair of supports, said second elongate member is eccentric to the circular perimeters of said pair of supports, and said index means suspends said members with saId second member pendant beneath said first member.
 12. A wind-up according to claim 6 wherein said winding axis is horizontal, said first elongate member is mounted centrally of said circular perimeters of said mounting means, and said second elongate member is mounted eccentric of the circular perimeters of said mounting means; and including an extension of said first elongate member extending beyond each of said mounting means; means to suspend said mandrel from said extensions out of engagement with said first and second cylinders whereby said second elongate element is pendant below said extensions and said first elongate element; means to advance a strip of sheet material to be wound toward said mandrel along a path passing between said first and second elongate elements; and means to release said suspending means and permit said supports to engage said cylinders.
 13. A wind-up according to claim 12 including means to deliver a strip of mineral fiber wool blanket with a surface to be wound outermost in said wind-up facing upward; wherein said first and second cylinders are below said mandrel and the path of advance of said strip, and wherein said upper perimeters of said first and second cylinders are driven in rotation toward the delivery means whereby the upper side of the mandrel rotates away from the delivery means.
 14. The method of winding a strip of flexible sheet material having sufficient rigidity to sustain a free end as a cantilever which comprises presenting the strip to be wound to a pair of elongate members with its major surfaces horizontal and with a first major surface uppermost extending a free end of said strip between said pair of spaced elongate members; and rotating the members around a winding axis generally paralleling the length of the members in a direction so that one of the members and a bight of said strip intermediate the free end and major body portion thereof is carried around the free end with the second of the members tucking the free end of said strip between the second of the elongate members and a portion of a second major surface of the major body portion of said strip whereby said first major surface is wound outermost.
 15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the free end of the strip extended between said elongate members has a length extending beyond said members a distance generally equal to the sum of one half the periphery of the cross section of the elongate members normal to the winding axis and the spacing of said elongate members.
 16. The method according to claim 14 including the steps of feeding the strip toward the winding axis at a first velocity; rotating the strip around its winding axis when the strip is partially coiled at a second velocity greater than said first velocity to impose a first level of tension thereon; and initially rotating the strip at a third velocity less than said second velocity to impose a second level of tension on the leading end of the strip less than said first level of tension.
 17. The method according to claim 16 wherein said third velocity is at least as great as said first velocity. 